“Okay guys,” I said, doing my best to envision Naecia triumphantly firing the Switch Drive and leap-frogging the Timelance to rescue me. “Anytime now.” The external cameras showed only stars, but I concentrated hard, willing the interior of Aszerat to surround me. My eyes flicked to the map. The city remained static.

“Hey there, folks. It’s me, Ben. From Earth. I’m not sure how long I’ve got before the Timelance gets here. They’re in bulkspace, so, you know, matter of time.” The energy left my voice there at the end, as my mood turned sullen. I looked outside. I checked the display. The lights seemed to dim, but it was just my subconscious draping the pall. As I watched Aszerat stubbornly holding its spot among the Effelox Free Cities, I knew the range of my possible outcomes was narrowing. Would the Scythin try to torture me for the Chime’s whereabouts?

I reached into my pocket for the ampoule of Amnesplid and considered the liquid inside against the light of the display. The more time that went by, the longer Aszerat sat in its orbit, the more likely this little vial of brain eraser became my future. The thing that would cut the string, protecting the next person from the curse of knowledge. Knowledge that could spell the end of everything they ever loved or ever knew. I was glad that it was me who was having their brain erased as opposed to someone who had more to leave behind. I hadn’t made much of a mark on the world, never did anything remarkable except to exist as I was made; and then, always fighting it. Never accepting it. Always searching while the other people in my life were living. That’s what I should have been doing too. Living.

Ugh, pathetic. Even my internal dialogue is a pity party.

“Ben here,” I said, noting a quiver in my voice. “I hope you guys are okay. I’m just plugging along. Timelance is still MIA. Uh, MIA means missing in action.” I wanted desperately to stop babbling. To die with some dignity, if that were possible. “Anyway. Hope you can get here soonish, heh-heh.” I stared again at the ampoule. “I don’t really want to have to drink this little guy.”

The Timelance appeared.

For just a millisecond the orientation threw me off. It was in front of the Silent Child, pacing my speed. I keyed the com with a shaking finger. “So, I’ve got an update for you: the Timelance is here.”

No response.